Grand Archives

February 24, 2008

Leaving behind the emerging success of Band of Horses and their excellent, Everything All the Time, may not have seemed like a great career move for guitarist Mat Brooke. It’s also hard to believe that Brooke wasn’t kicking himself when the Horses’ follow up, Cease to Begin, was released last year to a fair amount of critical praise.

But things are looking well on their way to being more than okay, now that Brooke’s newest band, Grand Archives’ new self-titled record is out on Sub Pop. (Mat Brooke was also in the band, Carissa’s Weird.)

At the outset of the record on “Torn Blue Foam Couch,” the Grand Archives start to invoke the sweet powers of Iron and Wine, but with enough reverb in place to evoke both Band of Horses and the bottom of a well. As the drum kicks in, the Archives soar out from those sad dark places and launch into some uplifting pop music; harmonies, whistles, rainbows, French horns, dancing ponies and all.